RAPID Psychological First Aid

When a crisis or disaster strikes, the burden of psychological distress will far outlast the physical injuries.

THE CHALLENGE

In a crisis situation–whether in the home or in the community–approximately 25% of those involved will need some level of emergency psychological care. When traditional models of psychological care proved largely inadequate for such situations, a new model of intervention was needed.

THE SOLUTION

Psychological first aid (PFA) is a concept similar to physical first aid for coping with stressful and traumatic events in crisis situations and at disaster sites. PFA is recommended or endorsed by leading international health care organizations such as the World Health Organization, the Institute of Medicine, the National Institute of Mental Health, the American Red Cross, and the American Psychiatric Association.

PFA is a learned skill, and now health care professionals, educators, employee assistance professionals, first responders, and lay people can attend a 2-day training workshop to learn the Johns Hopkins RAPID model of psychological first aid. The RAPID model is unique in that it consists of a platform solidly grounded in evidence-informed and empirically-based components designed to address the needs of individuals in acute distress, while at the same time enhancing organizational and community resilience.

OUTCOMES

Research published in 2016, demonstrated that psychological first aid significantly lowers anxiety among trauma victims.